Alphabetical!
by HappyLeifEricsonDay
Summary: Yep, it's another ABC challenge. A pokeshippy moment for each letter of the alphabet.
1. A for Already?

Hi all.. I know this isn't want I promised was coming next. I'm still working on my big story. Pinky promise. But while I'm doing that I wanted to do something a little less serious so I decided to do one of those ABC challenge's since there were so many I liked. Mine is a little different though. I decided to make mine all moments that could have really happened in the show. Behind the scenes, between episodes. These are all little shippy moments I think could have really happened. Enjoy! Updates will be fairly regular, since I've already written quote a few.

This one's pretty short, but some are a lot longer.

(This chapter takes place during the Indigo League, Episode 7.)

**Disclaimer:** Which of these things don't I own?

** A)** The Pokemon franchise,** B)** replicas of 8 Kanto badges, or **C)** a Pikachu Nintendo.

* * *

**A for Already?**

Misty stared uncertainly at the back of the two boy's heads. They each looked back at her once curiously as they steadily grew farther from her. She pressed her palm to her forehead and wrinkled her brow in indecision. What to do?

_I never wanted to wind up back here. _

Ash and Brock were now so far away down the rocky path she would have to sprint to catch up. She knew they wouldn't wait for her. Actually, Brock probably would but the idiot wouldn't. She shifted from one foot to the other impatiently, trying to make up her mind. Should she keep to the kid until she got her bike back or paid for, or cut her losses? Every stubborn fiber of her being yelled, _"After him! He owes you a bike!" _But her pride argued back, reminding her of the reason she could not follow Ash to Cerulean City.

"_You're not really going this time, are you? You're, like, totally bluffing."_

"_No, not this time. I'm really going, and I'm not coming back until I'm the world's greatest water Pokémon trainer!"_

"_Sure, little sis. Just, like, be careful."_

"_I'm serious! You'll see."_

"_Right, I know. Just don't get your hopes too high, okay? It's, like, a really tough world, full of tough trainers, and it's really hard to be the best."_

"_You're gonna eat your words the next time you see me, and you see what it's like to be a _real_ water Pokémon trainer!"_

Misty cringed inwardly as she contemplated what it would be like to face Daisy and Lily and Violet now, when she had barely taken a few steps toward her goal. They would never let her live it down, they would mock her endlessly. She couldn't go back to Cerulean. It was absolutely, completely, one hundred percent, totally out of the question. And especially no WAY was she going back to the Gym.

So why was she walking forward toward the boys in the distance? She halted her movement once she realized the direction she had inadvertently been headed. No. Way. She frowned as she watched the two boys at last disappear behind a rocky hill. They hadn't even been friends, and she was pretty sure they didn't even like her. She was just an annoying tagalong. But all the same she felt a pinch of unexpected sadness at their departure.

She had been alone for a whole month since she set out on her own journey. It was fun at first, getting to know her Pokémon better and learning the tricks of camping and feeding herself and having hours to train daily in the river with no interruption. It wasn't until she started to follow around Ash waiting for him to reimburse her that she realized how starved for human interaction she had been. And while Ash openly disliked her, she couldn't help but continue to follow him anyway. She couldn't go from this to being completely alone again. So she preferred to follow and remain unwanted than to go back to before where she now realized she had been completely alone. And now that the two boys had finally really left her behind, she could only think one thing.

_Already?_

There was just something about them. Ash was stupid and did nothing right, but yet something about the way he interacted with his Pokémon had her intrigued. And that Brock character, he was really something. She still hadn't figured him out, but she hadn't had enough time. She wished there was time to get to know them a little better. It felt like she'd been just beginning to feel something there, something more than grudges, something like friendship. But she would never know if she didn't stick with them. She took one hesitant step forward again.

Her pride surged through her veins, telling her to just go on to Vermillion alone, that she was better off by herself anyway. She didn't need that stupid kid or that Gym leader to get by. But something else stirred in her too, something that wanted to know if she had really found two friends. If she had finally found two real friends, was she already going to let them get away?

She looked hesitantly behind her, then looked at the sky. It was only noon, leaving plenty of time to get to the gym by dark.

_What am I saying?_

Before she could give herself a definite answer, she was already sprinting down the path after Ash and Brock.

* * *

Next chapter-

B for Breath

See you there, lovelies.

_(correct answer: A)_


	2. B for Breath

Hello! See, I told you I would update. Didn't I tell you?

(This chapter takes place between the end of the Orange Islands season and the beginning of the Johto Journeys season.)

**Disclaimer:** Which of the following things do I _not _own?

**A)** The Pokemon franchise **B)** An Erumpent horn **C)** The Star of Elendil

* * *

**B for Breath**

"Ash!" Misty called, slowing to a stop on the path with one hand on her knee, the other clutching Togepi. "If we don't slow down right now I am going to collapse!" she panted.

"Priii!" Togepi trilled, waving its hands up and down, unaware of its carrier's plight.

"Aw, come on, Misty!" he whined. "Don't be a baby."

"He's just excited, that's all," Brock intervened as Misty drew a deep breath to rebut.

"Well we can't keep going at this pace all the way to Johto!" she cried in exasperation.

"Yeah, maybe we'd better slow down a bit, Ash. Don't you think?"

"Yeah… alright," he replied reluctantly.

Misty was still inhaling heavily, trying to catch her breath. They'd been practically running down the path after Ash, who could barely contain his excitement about going to a new region. Every time she breathed in, she got what felt like a lungful of dust that Ash had just kicked up behind him. The trio had only left Pallet Town a couple of hours ago but they'd already come pretty far. They were headed to New Bark Town, the "town where winds of new beginnings blow." She hoped the town was as lovely and romantic as its description made it sound. She had never travelled out of Kanto before except to the Orange Islands, and she was nervous and excited. She wondered what her sisters would say when she broke the news she had hopped regions without even letting them know. She smiled mischievously, knowing there was nothing they could do to stop her. She'd like to see them try.

She finally caught up to and fell in step next to Ash and Brock. They were talking about something but she was too tired to really pay attention. It was only when Togepi started playing with Pikachu's tail that Ash took any notice of her. Misty's little Pokémon tugged playfully at Pikachu's tail which dangled just over Ash's left shoulder. Pikachu was startled and consequently gave Ash a bit of a shock which left him on the ground.

Misty bent over him, not quite sure whether to laugh or apologize.

"You try to have a conversation with a guy, and this is what you get…" he murmured, staring blankly into the air trying to recover.

Pikachu shifted his feet by Ash's head apologetically. "Pika.."

Brock gave Ash a hand to his feet. He immediately extended his arm to Pikachu and scratched him on the cheek. The forgiveness was instantaneous and unquestioned. That was one thing Misty always thought was both a strength and a weakness of Ash's. That idiot could _not_ hold a grudge, for the life of him.

"What were we even talking about?" Ash asked, scratching his forehead.

"We were talking about Lugia," Brock reminded him.

"Lugia?" Misty chimed. She wondered how this subject had come up.

"Yeah, Brock just wanted to hear about what happened more in depth."

"We never really got to talk about it much," Brock explained, "and I was pretty sorry I wasn't there. It was awful to be stuck at… the… um, at where I was, while all that was uh… happening. I felt pretty useless to tell you the truth. I almost wish I would've just stayed with you guys."

Misty and Ash exchanged a meaningful look, a silent understanding that the subject of _Professor Ivy _was still not to be broached.

"Anyways, Ash," Brock covered abruptly, coming out of what might have turned into a long bout of silent sulking. "You were at the part where you were riding him. What on Earth happened?"

"Oh!" Ash exclaimed, jumping back into the heat of the story. "It was crazy. We were trying to make it back with the last little sphere, but Zapdos and Moltres and Articuno were attacking us and each other and everything else. It was terrifying, like flying through the end of the world, I swear. Lugia was really strong, but he was outmatched by the other three. And to make things worse that crazy collector was still trying to capture the Lugia. At least I think… I barely had any idea what was going on. What with the altitude and being attacked left and right, I think I might have passed out up there. There were these giant metal things wrapping him like a cage, and Lugia tried to fight them off but it was too much. I just remember one second I'm sitting on Lugia's back and the next second we're plummeting toward the ocean."

At this point Misty's breath caught in her throat. She had never heard this from Ash's perspective before. She'd seen it in her own mind a hundred times though. That terrifying moment when she had watched him fall from what looked like a hundred feet in the air, wondering if it was possible that anyone could survive that.

Ash stopped, scratching his chin. "Then, my memory's blank again. The next thing I remember is waking up on the rocks. I couldn't really feel any of my limbs. I was soaking wet, it was horrible. My lungs were on fire. I must have breathed in a bucketful of ocean water. I was seriously coughing up salty water for hours. I made it up the steps though. Misty helped with that part… Hey Mist, you okay?"

Misty realized both Ash and Brock were staring at her now, and she realized her face must be white as a sheet. She _really_ did not enjoy reliving this memory. Yes, of course she remembered helping him up the steps. Every time he stumbled, being afraid he was going to trip and fall off onto the sharp rocks far below. "I'm fine," she squeaked.

Brock raised an eyebrow at her, but said nothing. Ash continued to look puzzled. He finished his story, but Misty tuned out. She couldn't listen to it anymore. It had happened weeks ago now, but the raw emotion of that day still cut into her deeply.

Pikachu looked at her curiously from Ash's shoulder. Even he looked worried. "Pikachu pi?"

This pulled her out of her internal suffering just in time to hear Brock ask Ash a question: "Ash, the only thing I don't get is how you survived falling into the ocean from Lugia's back. How on Earth did you get to the shore if you were unconscious?"

"I dunno.. I figured I just floated there or something. I guess that doesn't really make sense."

"So how then? I mean you must not have been in there for very long or you'd have surely gotten hypothermia. From your story it sounds like you almost did anyway."

"Almost?" Misty butted in. "He could barely move his limbs and he still thought it was a good idea to trek all the way up those steps. If I hadn't been there to keep his sorry butt on his two feet he would have fallen right off and died."

Both of the boys turned to look and Misty and she immediately regretted opening her mouth.

"Misty, you were there. Didn't you see how Ash got out of the water?"

"Was it Lugia?" Ash asked.

Misty bit her lip nervously. For some reason she felt very nervous about the idea of telling Ash she had been the one to save him. This was a memory private to her and she didn't want to share it with the two boys who were now staring at her like she held a secret greater than the one inside the GS ball.

"I… I don't remember." What a lame excuse! That was not going to fool anybody.

Ash's face immediately fell. "You don't remember?" From the look on his face, what he actually meant was _'My near-death was so unimportant that you don't even remember what saved me?'_

"What I mean is-" Misty tried to correct herself but couldn't think of any way to reword it. "I- I didn't see."

"But you were right there when I woke up," Ash said. "You had to have seen."

Misty clammed up at this point, sure she was going to say something she would regret. She remembered when he woke up, she remembered shaking him awake. Her hands were on his chest, which was completely still. Unmoving. No breath. She was trying to shake him, rouse him, jumpstart his breathing. She knew CPR of course (one of the plusses of growing up in a Water Gym) but in this moment of panic it had not even occurred to her. Looking back on it she wanted to kick herself, knowing that moment of hesitation might have cost Ash his life. She had the ability to give him back his breath, but she had been so worried he was already dead that she hadn't even thought to administer it. The one time it really counted she had screwed up. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

"Uh, Mist?" Ash began, reaching a hesitant hand and setting it on her shoulder. She shook it off instantly, clenching her fists.

"Hey, are you okay?" Brock asked.

Misty forced herself to smile. This was getting out of hand. Time to change the subject! "I'm fine, really!" she lied. "Can we just talk about something else please?"

Brock and Ash both looked puzzled and disappointed, but didn't push her further. Misty fell behind them and let them talk of other things while she stewed in irritation and embarrassment.

"Pika." Pikachu was tugging at Ash's hair. "Pikapi."

Ash didn't hear him over his raucous conversation with Brock; now they were talking about Ash's victory in the Orange League, more specifically his victory over his opponent's particularly powerful Dragonite.

"Pika… Pikachu pi!" Pikachu glanced back at Misty, who came out of her sulking curiously when she heard Pikachu mention her name.

"Huh?" Ash had finally noticed Pikachu trying to get his attention. "What about Misty? Whaddya mean, Pikachu?"

"Pika pi.. Pika pikapi Pikachu Pikachu pi…"

Ash glanced back at Misty again, and back at Pikachu.

Misty strained to hear what they were talking about. She had caught her name in Ash's side of the conversation too. She wished she could understand Pikachu as well as Ash could.

"Thanks buddy," he whispered, and scratched the Pokémon behind the ear. He immediately returned to his conversation with Brock as though it hadn't been interrupted at all.

Misty frowned nervously, unsure what had just transpired. She didn't like it. Not at all.

That evening found them in a cozy dent on the underside of a hill, stretching their sleeping bags out on the grass. The hill extended over them, protecting them from the light rain that drizzled down in the dark, blocking out the stars. Brock had passed out by the dying fire, still sitting up against the hill with Pikachu dozing in his lap. Misty took amusement from watching him snore openmouthed, and wondered if she ought to wake him so he could climb into his sleeping bag. She was currently sliding into her own, marveling at how warm it was compared to the chilly February air. Ash still sat by the dim fire, poking it with a stick. He hadn't even gotten his sleeping bag out yet. It figured, he was always the last to sleep and the last to rise. You'd think the kid would've learned by now.

"Pikachu told me."

Misty sat up abruptly, bringing a rush of cold air into her sleeping bag. "What?" she asked plainly.

"He told me you were the one who saved me. Back on Shamuti." He wasn't looking at her; he was still staring into the fire, poking around at the withering sticks.

Misty felt like a complete idiot. Of course. Pikachu had been right there, of course he knew what had happened. She could have slapped herself in the face. Great. Now it was out there, and she had to say something about it. He would wonder why she had lied about it. But words weren't coming out of her mouth. She just sat there dumbly, staring at him. Eventually he looked up from the fire and caught her eyes, raising an eyebrow and waiting for her to speak. How unlike him. Why would he choose _now of all times_ to let her speak first? Well, it would probably be best to diffuse this right away.

"So what?" she said, a little more harshly than she had meant to. "It was no big deal."

Ash let his stick drop into the embers and watched it until the tips began to glow red. "But…"

"But nothing," Misty said, before he could finish his statement. "The only reason I didn't say anything is because I didn't want to make it a big deal, because it wasn't. I just want to forget about it, okay? So let it go and go to sleep."

The look on his face was pure shock, but she doubted her ability to continue having this conversation. Therefore she promptly turned over on her side away from Ash and stared at the side of the hill, wishing sleep would come instantly. After a few minutes she heard a quiet sizzle and the hillside went dark; Ash must have poured water on the fire. She listened for the sound of his sleeping bag but didn't hear it. She heard his feet shuffling softly across the grass and wished he would just go to bed already.

"Misty." She didn't move, clinging to her charade of sleeping. "Mist?" She forgot to not move, startled by how close his voice was. She looked up instinctively and saw dimly in the dark that he was standing right next to her. Mostly she could just see his silhouette.

She was confused and a little irritated. "Ash, what-?"

He fell to his knees beside her, taking her completely off guard. She sat up, alarmed. He had fallen so suddenly, like something had struck him from behind.

But before she could say anything, he spoke. "Thank you," was all he said. It sounded almost strangled, like he was having trouble breathing.

"Tha… for what?" Misty blinked, startled by this turn of events.

"Thank you," he repeated. "For saving me."

Misty almost rolled her eyes. She knew this was going to happen. It was just like him to take it and blow it out of proportion. "I told you, it wasn't a big-"

"Yes," he interrupted. "Yes it was. It was a really big deal. The water… it was so cold. The water alone could have killed me probably, and you too. I couldn't feel my limbs, I could barely walk. I don't know how you…" his voice trailed off for a moment, like he was out of breath again. "You didn't even let on. You were running right after me."

"It doesn't matter," Misty replied. It was a feeble response. It didn't even address anything he had said. She was almost glad he just ignored it.

"If you hadn't…" She squinted at him through the dark, completely unsure what to do. His head was down, his eyes hidden by the brim of his hat. Ash cleared his throat, speaking forcefully like he was talking through clenched teeth. "Just, thanks."

He continued to sit there on his knees, staring into the grass by her side. She hadn't guessed this would mean anything at all to him. He looked so beaten sitting there that way, and she suddenly felt guilty, like it was her fault he felt this way. Presently, she realized he might be feeling the same guilt for putting her in danger that she felt about him. That would explain it.

Instinctually, she reached forward and set her hand reassuringly on his shoulder. He looked up at her, and she smiled. She didn't say anything, because she felt there was nothing really to say. It worked, however, and his face went from troubled to happy fairly quickly. He beamed at her and nodded, his lighthearted demeanor instantly returning. He yawned and stretched his arms, making toward his backpack to lay out his bed. Misty listened to Ash hum as he laid out his sleeping bag, astonished at how quickly he returned to his usual blissful self. Even when she heard his breathing turn slow and rhythmic and she was sure he was asleep, she was still wide awake. Still trying to catch her breath.

* * *

Man, so many _emotions._ The D chapter is kind of dark as well, so I am going to try to make the next chapter lighthearted. Scratch that, I _will_ make it lighthearted, dammit! Thanks for reading, and you know I'm about to beg you to review. Can we skip the begging? Let us simply pretend I begged, and thereby save me some dignity and you some time.

Next chapter-

C for Circles

_(Correct answer: A)_


	3. C for Circles

Why hello there! Sorry about the wait! I haven't had internet.. I just moved and life is haaaarrd-uh. -_- Aaaand they sent our modem jiggy thingy to the wrong apartment.

"Someone named Jackson signed for it," said the phone lady. "Is there someone living with you named Jackson?"

"...No." I replied indignantly. "No there is not." I sighed exasperatedly. At least they're sending us a new one. Woe.

Anyway here's my own take on what I find is a slightly cliche story. Enjoy. (This chapter takes place between Good Quil Hunting and A Shadow of a Drought in the third season.)

**Disclaimer:** Which of these things do I _not _own?

**A)** A copy of Moby Dick **B)** Every season of Futurama **C)** The Pokemon franchise

* * *

**C for Circles**

"I swear on my life that is the same stump I was sitting on twenty minutes ago," Misty announced. "We are going in _circles,_ Ash Ketchum!"

"Are not," Ash countered, digging the map back out of his backpack. He knew exactly where they were going. They'd had a bit of a detour over Cyndaquil, but now he was sure they were back on track. He looked affectionately at his newly occupied pokeball, hoping they got to Azalea soon so he could heal up his brand new buddy. He frowned, reflecting on the fact that Cyndaquil was his new, and his only, fire Pokémon. _No, not a replacement,_ he thought with care. _Just an addition to the team. _He frowned at having accidentally brushed the still-raw wound in his mind that was Charizard's departure.

"Brock!" Misty cried, like a tattletaling sibling. "Why is Ash even holding the map?"

Brock shrugged apologetically. "Ash, why don't I take a look again?"

Ash frowned and handed it over. "Don't worry," he explained. "I know exactly where we are. There's the path." He pointed to the line cutting through the center of the map. "And there's us." He pointed to an obscure green patch off to the side of the line.

"Pika.." Pikachu leaned into the map from Ash's shoulder, blinking perplexedly at the line.

It turned out Misty had been looking over their shoulders too, and she promptly leapt into full-on flip-out mode. "What do you mean _'there's us?'"_ she hissed. "Why are we not on the path?"

Ash stuck his nose up at her. "We are on the path, Misty. In case you hadn't noticed the clear-cut path we are walking on. The forest doesn't just _grow_ that way you know. We're just not on the main path, that's all. This way is the faster route to Azalea."

Misty furrowed her eyebrow and crossed her arms. "I know it doesn't," she replied testily. "But I still think it's a bad idea to take side paths. This path wasn't even marked on the map! We just got _un-_lost," she snapped, "and do you want to get us lost again?"

Ash narrowed his eyes at her. Like she was helping by just screaming at him. "We're not lost. This way's faster, and the faster the better." They needed to make good time if he wanted to win his badge and get Kurt the GS Ball and move on in a reasonable amount of time. The Johto League was looming in the not-so-distant future and he didn't have all the time in the world before it would be upon him. There were so many cities to go to, so many Pokémon to catch and badges to win and.. Sometimes he didn't think Misty quite understood this.

"But we _are_ lost!" she protested.

Brock interjected. "Maybe it _would_ be a better idea to stick to the main path, Ash."

"But we have to get to Azalea Town as fast as possible!" Ash complained.

"We would get everywhere faster if you would just let me navigate," Misty muttered.

"No way would we let a girl lead us through the forest," Ash smirked, looking at Brock for confirmation. Brock, however, slid back from the two, keeping himself uninvolved. So much for backup, Ash thought. He looked at Pikachu for support but Pikachu sighed audibly and looked away. "Thanks a lot," he whispered with heavy sarcasm.

Misty clenched her fists at her sides, and Ash was silently amused at how enraged she was over his simple "girl" comment. She made it so easy for him to mess with her.

He glanced back at her and cowered at the red hot anger radiating in his direction. Maybe he would let her navigate just this once. He handed her the map, making sure to scowl as he did so she would know he was doing it with great reluctance.

"Ash, take a deep breath and sit down," Brock said, looking up wearily from the magazine he was thumbing through. "There's no use pacing circles around the room. You can't take on the gym tonight. So you might as well get some rest."

Ash crossed his arms. He knew Brock was right, but he couldn't help but feel anxious anyway. Brock went back to his Home Cooking magazine, which Ash wasn't sure he was reading for the recipes or for the women on every page. For a minute he amused himself with watching Brock's expression switchback between drooling and fascinated from page to page, and decided he must be reading it for both reasons after all.

He ended up taking a seat between Brock and Pikachu, pulling the latter onto his lap. He rubbed Pikachu's cheeks affectionately, contemplating his lineup in the upcoming gym battle. It would be strange battling without Charizard. He frowned, pulling Pikachu a little closer. He knew he might really need Charizard in this battle, but he had done what was best for his friend. It didn't make the ache any less painful, however.

"Pikapi?" Pikachu cocked his ears, tuning in to Ash's sigh. Ash scratched his ear in response, forcing a smile to let Pikachu know he was fine.

"You okay Ash?" Brock had lowered his magazine and was peering over it at Ash.

Ash opened his mouth to reassure him he was alright, but Misty spoke first from her place on the floor with Togepi. "He's just impatient for the gym battle," she drawled sarcastically. "It's probably killing him."

Ash glared daggers at her. "For your information I am not," he shot back. "I was thinking about Charizard, that's all." He said it with as much venom as he could, hoping to make her feel bad for her assumption.

Her expression immediately fell from gloating to apologetic. "Oh," she said slowly. "I'm sorry. That's gonna take a while to heal, huh?"

Now Ash felt defensive of his pride. "No," he countered. "I was just thinking how it was the best thing for him. I'm fine."

Misty furrowed her eyebrows sadly. "You know, Ash," she said quietly, "it's okay to be sad about it."

"I'm not sad," he growled. "I'm happy for him."

"You can be both, Ash," she sighed, standing up and making her way to sit on Brock's other side.

Ash crossed his arms, choosing to ignore any further comments from her. That was unnecessary though, because she didn't push the conversation further.

"Well," Brock said, pushing himself up. "I'm gonna get some shut eye. It's been a really crazy day." He pulled out his sleeping bag, laying it on the floor beside the couch. Brock would be sleeping on the floor, Ash on the couch, and Misty in the connected bedroom. Ash and Brock usually traded off with the couch and floor whenever they stayed somewhere with one, but Misty always got the bed. Ash felt it was unfair, but Brock insisted she gets it because she's a lady. It was an argument Ash could never win.

Ash wasn't ready to fall asleep yet, which was good because Misty had snagged up Brock's magazine, and he knew she would never comply with being kicked off the couch so he could sleep. So he pulled out his Pokedex and began clicking through the pages at random, trying to retain some stats he hadn't yet memorized about Johto Pokémon. He was reading all about Cyndaquil and its evolutions when his eyelids began to feel heavy. He peaked at Misty, contemplating forcing her off his bed, and was shocked to see she was already fast asleep.

He growled in annoyance, putting away the Pokedex as quietly as he could. He thought about waking her up but shook that idea off immediately. Misty was a beast to be reckoned with when woken up. Then he smiled mischievously as he got a new idea. This was his only chance to take the comfy bed, until the next time they stayed somewhere with more than one (which they could barely ever afford). So, carrying Pikachu with him, Ash tiptoed out of the front room and crawled between the soft sheets of the bed. It was so comfortable he fell fast asleep within minutes, cuddling his warm Pikachu close to his chest.

When Misty woke up she was slightly disoriented. She couldn't remember where she was at first because it was so dark and she was still mostly asleep. Her neck hurt from sleeping so long in an upright position. She glanced at the clock on the microwave by the mini-fridge and saw that it was just after one in the morning. She groaned, rubbing the back of her neck. She stood up slowly, trying not to trip over Brock's sleeping form. The room was unfamiliar to her and dark, so she felt along the wall to the bedroom door. All she could remember was that the bed was hers, and she should find her way there to sleep more comfortably.

She flipped the switch but nothing happened, and she remembered hazily that the only light in this room was a lamp near the bed. So she crept blindly through the room until her legs hit the soft mattress, and she crawled onto the queen size bed without even getting under the covers. She was asleep before she could muster the energy to slide into the blanket, with one arm hanging off toward the lamp which she had forgotten to turn on.

Ash woke up groggily, rubbing his eyes. It was still dark out, with almost no light shining between the blinds on the window. His throat felt dry as dry as if a Sandshrew was in there sand attacking him, and he felt he had to get a glass of water or he would die before morning. He went to sit up to turn on the lamp, but found Pikachu had curled up around his right arm with his back to the wall. _No matter_, he thought, thinking he would just stretch his left arm out to the lamp. But he found his left arm was restrained too. His mind was still fuzzy with sleep, and he wondered if he had let out another Pokémon to sleep in his bed with him. He strained his eyes in the dark, still adjusting to the absence of light. He finally realized with a giant shock that it was _Misty_ curled up against his left side.

His mind went blank with terror, screaming, _What is Misty doing in my bed SNUGGLING my body? _He realized with horror that he was actually in _her_ bed, and she must have woken up and crawled in next to him, not realizing he was there. Now Ash was in for it, because if she woke up she was going to be so pissed. He had to get out of there. He tried to move his left arm but it was fully submerged under her torso, and her own left arm was wrapped around his waist. He felt his face burn with the intensity of a supernova, and his only consolation was that he was under the blanket and she wasn't. But that little barrier still felt so inadequate. He slowly tried to wiggle to his right, but Pikachu was blocking his progression, and the more he moved the tighter Misty grabbed his waist, like he was a teddy bear or something. He fought the urge to groan out loud with the exasperation and frustration he felt.

There was only one thing for it. He had to wait until she moved or something. It wasn't worth it to risk awakening her by continuing to move. He could feel her breath against the skin on his neck, the slow breathing of a deep sleep. Her cheek lay squished against his shoulder. He fought against the allure of sleep as it tried to drag him under; this was the most comfortable he had been in months. Not only were the sheets enticingly soft and warm, but Misty was the warmest thing he'd ever felt. He almost felt _too_ hot, and worried if he stayed like this for long he would come down with a fever or something. He tried to keep his breathing even but he felt like he was going to explode from the tension.

It felt like hours and hours that he lay there awake, his mind racing with the worry she would awaken, trying not to think about the breath on his neck or the arm at his waist. After what seemed like forever and a day she finally, _finally_ rolled over, clutching at a pillow as a replacement teddy bear. Ash sighed with intense relief, picking up Pikachu ever so slowly, and crawling off at the foot of the bed. He had made it to the door when he glanced back at her uncertainly. As a last thought he returned and pulled the blanket over her, worrying she might become cold now that he was gone. She must've been so tired she forgot to get under the blanket.

Even as he lay down on the couch, pulling the still-sleeping Pikachu against his chest for comfort, he still could not return to sleep. He felt anxious and sick about what had just happened. And now he was cold. He was trying so hard not to wish he didn't have to leave the bed that he just couldn't keep his eyes closed. Pikachu just wasn't as warm. It was the strangest feeling, wishing there was someone next to you. He couldn't reconcile it with any emotion he was familiar with. He lay there trying to fall asleep until the first rays of light shone in through the front window, which was when his eyes finally fluttered closed.

It felt like only minutes later that Brock awoke him with the smell of sizzling eggs. He rubbed his eyes, fighting to keep them open. His eyelids felt like they had anchors attached to them. Misty was sitting at the foot of the couch by his feet, staring amusedly at him.

"Look who's finally up!" she said brightly, giggling a little. "Of course only the smell of food would wake you. I've been trying for thirty minutes."

Ash only groaned in response, sitting up and looking around for Pikachu, locating him on Brock's shoulder.

"You sleep alright?" she laughed.

Ash jolted his head in her direction, suddenly remembering last night's horror. "Uh.. yeah. Why?" Did she know? He prepared for the worst.

"Oh, it's just that you have the deepest circles under your eyes," she said. "Looks like you didn't sleep a wink."

"No, I slept great!" he lied. Unsure what to say next, he added as nonchalantly as he could, "You?"

She stretched her arms above her head, replying, "Oh yes, I slept wonderfully. I feel so rested! That bed was _so_ comfortable. Best I've felt in weeks."

Ash smiled despite himself. He wondered why that comment made his chest swell slightly with pride. It was probably because he didn't think it was the _bed_ that made her sleep so restful. And that thought made it totally worth the circles under his eyes.

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You like? You no like? Review and speak your mind, soldier.

Next chapter- D for Death

I'm posting it right after I post this so no need for a preview really. But you should know that NOBODY DIES in the next chapter. It's not what you think.

Tata for now, loves!

_(Correct answer: C)_


	4. D for Death

Drum roll, please... As promised- two posts in one night! I mean, man I just posted the 'C' chapter like ten minutes ago! Woot woot! I'm on a roll, babe. It's a shorter chapter though.. you can't have it all, you know.

(This chapter takes place just after the Jirachi Wishmaker movie.)

**Disclaimer: **Which of the following things do I _not _own?

**A)** A vacuum** B)** The Pokemon Franchise** C)** A Christmas tree

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**D for Death**

Misty set down the letter shakily; she hadn't even finished it yet. Her fingers couldn't hold the paper. She was having trouble concentrating on the rest of the story.

She had never been afraid of death. Her parents died when she was very young. It was something she always accepted as a part of life, and she'd always just peacefully known that someday it would happen to her too. She wanted her ashes to be thrown into the ocean, swallowed up by the sea. It made her feel happy that when she was gone she'd still be where she loved to be. She wasn't sad about it; it was just a part of life. But… it's different when you love someone more than you love yourself. And it's even _further_ removed when that person you love is a hopeless idiot bent on saving the world, making death a constantly looming threat. When you're in love with a hero.

How many times had she watched him die? She'd lost him in a blizzard, seen him turned to stone, watched him plummet to the frozen ocean from hundreds of feet in the air. She'd stood by while he dove into a lake with a ticking bomb at the bottom. She'd shaken his lifeless body while ghost Pokémon loomed around her with eerie grins. Hell, the first time she met him she thought he might have already drowned.

"_Are you alright?"_ Misty had said on instinct. She had really been talking to his Pikachu, but she was also inwardly praying that she hadn't fished out a drowned kid from the river. His first words to her were like honey to her ears. He was alive.

And that was all she could ever hope for with him. That he kept himself alive. It killed her knowing things like this were still going on even though she was no longer with him. She didn't know what she had expected. What, that his adventures would pause while she did her time at the gym? That he would stop getting himself into trouble since she couldn't be there to bail him out? No way. That was way too much to ask for. Of course life went on for him without her, of course he was still risking his neck every day. That was what made him Ash, it was part of why she loved him.

The difference was now instead of being there for him she got to hear about the aftermath in letter format.

She looked at the full page. Mostly Ash's sloppy scrawl, but at the bottom there were four names signed. Ash's written thickly and messily, Brock's name scrawled in a slightly neater fashion. May's name signed with a heart at the end, and Max's written tidily by May's. There was a tiny paw print made with what Misty could only guess was mud and she smiled despite herself, knowing that the print belonged to Pikachu.

But her smile faded as she scanned the letter again, trying not to picture this event taking place. She couldn't imagine a reality in which Ash's life was in danger and she wasn't there in case something went horribly wrong. It didn't feel right. It _wasn't_ right. She should have been there. What if? What if?

Just what if?

Her breathing grew ragged and she couldn't handle the thoughts waterfalling through her mind. She screwed up her face to chase away the emotion and balled up the letter, throwing it unceremoniously against the wall across from her bed where she sat. She pressed her palms to her eyes, but to her relief the tears hadn't spilled over. She managed to slow her breathing and lower her hands, staring at them where they rested on her lap.

After a few slow minutes she slid from the bed and retrieved the letter, unfolding it the best she could. She felt instantly wracked with guilt that she'd essentially destroyed it. She looked it over again, skipping the part about their latest adventure, skipping the part where Ash tells her how he nearly died yet again. She read the end of the letter that she hadn't been able to reach as of yet.

_But I bet you're having a lot of adventures back in Cerulean too. And if not… well you know where to find an adventure if you need it. Brock misses you, and May and Max really want to meet you. So you know, if your sisters can get their act together (their battling act, not their water ballet one, haha) then we would, well I would really like it if you joined us again. You know, if you want to. _

She took a deep breath and let it out, but by the end of the exhale it caught in her throat. She let out a derisive choking noise and re-crumbled the letter, chucking it even harder against the wall.

Misty couldn't explain her anger to herself and knew it was irrational. Her innermost conscious tried to reason with her. She told herself she was upset because Ash was stupid and inconsiderate, having once again overlooked the fact that she was unable to leave her gym although she wanted to. But she knew deep down the reason she was really upset was because Ash was in danger once again and she wasn't there to help him and he could have died and it would have been all her fault.

* * *

Bah. Sorry people, I love Misty. So why don't you kill me? Bahaha. She's just emotional, okay?

Anyway. Please review? ^-^

Next chapter-

E for Even

_(Correct answer: B)_


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